Law & Public Safety

AAA utilized a five-point scale for their study on hands-free technology, with one being the least distracting and five being the most, to gauge the effectiveness of voice-activated systems. Lewis said most of them went from somewhere around a 2.4, which was the Chevy Equinox, and the way up to 4.6.

The joint investigation by the County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force and the Passaic Police Department made 20 or so undercover purchases since July, targeting areas of the city like Passaic and First streets, where they say residents have complained about open-air drug sales and general quality of life concerns.

For the first time, Gov. Christie was overridden by the state Senate as they voted against his veto of a bill aimed at notifying police when those committed to mental health facilities seek to expunging their mental health records in order to buy a firearm.

16 people joined the ranks as graduates of Camden County's drug court program this month. They join the more than 300 graduates of the program that started 13 years ago, and Gov. Chris Christie expanded in 2012. The program allows first-time, nonviolent drug offenders to trade jail time for treatment.

According to the Fair Share Housing Network, New Jersey, over the next ten years, has a need for over 200,000 homes that are affordable to working families, people with disabilities and seniors with fixed incomes. The state League of Municipalities ran a similar report and found numbers much lower: somewhere between 17,000 and 24,000 affordable housing units needed over the next 10 years.

The US Sentencing Commission is reducing the punishment for 6,000 offenders – many of them non-violent drug inmates. They’re due for release Nov. 1. Many have criticized the war on drugs, where harsh punishments have caused the prison population to explode by 800 percent.

New jersey has 5,540 registered patients participating in the medicinal marijuana program. There are 355 caregivers authorized to do pickups for patients who are unable, and about 350 participating physicians, according to the state Health Department.

A class action lawsuit filed in New Jersey is one the first nationwide to be filed against Volkswagen. The company has admitted to embedded software with a so-called “defeat” code specifically engineered to beat emissions regulations. 200 lawsuits now target the company.

If Evesham Township residents have too much to drink between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., residents can pull up the Uber app, select the Evesham safe ride option and request a free ride home. The program is open now until until Jan. 2.

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